Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-03-19
YANkToN COLLEGE.

| a VGrelY AtakOtA El8htSQ III
tho Days Of Fire, Drouth- anc Grass
hoppers.
Rev. Joseph Ward, d. d., president OF
the college, in the Chicago Advance OF
March 18th: Yankton college in its
founding, did not have the aid Of q
penny or q man from the east. II was
from the start q pure Dakota project. 1t
is the ont growth Of the home missionary
churches Of Dakota. 1t began as they
began, in weakness and poverty. 1t
grew from the faith, the foresight, the
courage Of these churches in q time when
to all but the eye of faith, there was
nothing but failure and disaster for Da-
kota. It began in the days of Ere and
dronth and grasshoppers, when every man
and every church n every town was slit
cd and tested to find who they were who
had staying qualities, ont Of which could
be built the thlngs that cannot be shaken.
1t began when there were but twelve
Congregational churches in Dakota with
an aggregate membership of 256. It be-
gan before the great rush OF railways
Grew the thoughts OF thousands to a
land and made Dakota a word to charm
with.
Beginning IN those early days, the
subject of prayer and planning in the
general association for years before it
took definite form, il has had q shaping
influence on the very churches that
brought it forth, This interdependence
of the churches and the college deepens
every year.
Because The college was on the ground
80 early, being the first OF any kind or
name to open it's doors for instruction,
it has earned . place in the hearts OF all
She people. Having the foresight to see
the needs OF thu STATE of Dakota, the
wisdom to plan fer IL, and the faith and
courage to put the plans into action, 80
long before she state could begin to be,
the college has earned the gratitude and
the confidence of Dakota. Thus far, as
to now God hal planned a college for
Dakota. Has he shaped Dakota for the
college?
Not forgetting how God tested the
early settlers until, as in the army Of
Gideon. there remained but a handful to
do his work in founding o christian state,
We csn see further working OF his plan
in the kind of people he has poured into
Dakota for all the years since the COL
lege was founded, The greater part
have come from New England and from
she states whore New England has pro-
jeoted herself, as by her early charters
she claimed the right to do. Mary have
remarked upon the diminished republican
majority, for the few years lust past,
IN Iowa. This not because the Hawkeye
state has lowered her standard, but be-
cause b has sent SO many of her voters
to swell republican and prohibition ma
~iorities in Dakota. And this suggests an
other fact in reference to Dakota, Here
is to be the next great battle ground,
not only for prohibition, but for many
other questions affecting the public
veal. Here ii the last large body OF
pnblio land. Here are already gathering
the last large mass OF immigrants. Here
ends the westl for here are meeting the
two great tides of human movement
that from our east finding itself met and
checked by that OF the farther east, that
has already planted itself on this side
the Pacific, and is reaching over the
Rockies to take its part IN shaping the
~courss Of q nation.
Here then is to be wrought no small
past OF our national destiny, for along
inc line from Pembina to the gulf ia to
bs the balance OF power. Here are the
elements for the making of q mighty
christian empire. Was il chance that
put the early shaping Of .hese elements
into hand OF the American Home Mis-
slonsry society, and made 1t year by
yeEy send men and means to occupy
the points Of power? Was it accident
that when the Sunday-school publishing
society found its new strength, that it
began to make proof thereof. in Dakota ?
To ask these questions is only to call
ont the response, sit is the Lord who
has done great things for us. whereof we
are glad"
Here ere then the best, the most
promising, the most hopeful conditions
that ever existed for the founding OF q
christian state. There is no dense mass
Of ignorance, or even OF indifference, to
educated By long and painful process
j. INTO an appreciation of the value and
the need Of christian forces. No more
intelligent or appreciative people can be
found than those who are now building
Dakota. Nowhere will results come
sooner. and nowhere will they be more
permanent In good than here.
But all these favorable conditions
must be improved ct once. To-day they
are in our hands 60 be shaped cd they
will. But VS. cannot keep this place Of
power unjees va nee it, The adverse
forcee arr here. and they have no chival-
rio about taking possession OF every
R0int within their reach. That which IL
easily possible to-day can be gained only